United
by WitchRavenFox
Summary: Jacob goes out to burn off some frustration in Edwards' car, and finds himself driving straight into the life of the girl he imprints on. But how can he win her over? Jacob/OC fic
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of The Twilight Saga or the wonderful characters from it. I am just toying with them for a little while, but I will put them back the way that Stephanie Meyer made them when I'm done. Promise. I do however own Soraya, her Grams and her friends. I just wanted to see what would happen!**

**A/N: Okay, this is my very first Fanfic. So please Read and Review, the more constructive the better. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoy writing it. This is to the books more than the movies.**

**I've taken it from Breaking Dawn when Edward throws Jacob his keys to the Aston Martin Vanquish to leave for some air, because Jacob reacts to Edward now being able to hear the unborn Renesmees' thoughts.**

Jacob threw the Aston Martin Vanquish into gear as he pulled out of the Cullens' drive and onto the highway seeing Leah peer out of the trees to him. At first he drove out of anger and frustration, betrayal even at the knowledge that he no longer had the blood-sucker on side in regards to the parasite that grew within his wife's stomach. Within Bella's stomach. Like falling for the leech wasn't bad enough, she had to have stronger feelings for the child within.

Heading south at first, he sped like he had armed patrol on his tail chasing him, begging for a cop or two to pull him over, or take down the cars details. It wasn't as though the car was registered to him, so Edward would have to deal with it. And maybe, just maybe, it would inconvience Edward for a heart beat that he didn't possess. But there were no police cars. No other cars on the road really, so Jacob decided to head north towards more populated areas to put his not-so-well thought up plan into action.

Leah may have been right on some level, although he'd be damned to admit it to her at all. If he imprinted, he wouldn't have to have these feelings over Bella anymore. It would be pure friendship. And that idea had a certain appeal to him as he pulled into a park full of adults and children of all ages.

Rather than park the fine looking Vanquish in a space, he sprawled it across a few spaces, another invitation to do the car harm to get at Edward, despite the small part of him that would mourn the damage on a fine piece of foreign machinery. Standing looking at the car park he realised that the park really was heaving, and a small part of his heart lifted, where better to find someone your destined for than in a crowd. The logic made absolute sense to Jacob as he headed off in no particular direction.

Jacob looked at girls he knew he would go for, before Bella. Girls with stand out features like freckles, or radical hair cuts and colour that helped to show their personalities. That girl had almond shaped green eyes that sparkled mischeif. The girl in the blue jeans had her hair dyed this chestnut shade. That girl had motorbike oil stains on her nose. Every girl he looked over he willed his body to take over and imprint. For it to just happen.

But nothing happened. That feeling he'd seen and felt happen with Sam, and other members of the pack that had imprinted. It just didn't snap into place for him. He was still just Jacob.

Lost in thought as Jacob was, he did not realise immediately that he was being followed, but his wolf instincts soon made him aware of the fact. But rather than wheeling immediately, he made his way slowly back to the car, keeping his eyes open for any girl that could be his girl.

Slumping against the hood for a moment, Jacob let his mind drift again in thought about genetics. Sam thought that the best place for Jacob to find his mate would be back in La Push. But Jacob wasn't so sure. He had this nagging sensation that she would not be from La Push. But as soon as the thought appeared in his mind it dissapeared before becoming tangible with the sound of a voice that appeared to him.

"Hey, you there, with the stolen car. You okay?"

It took a whole second for Jacob to register that someone was talking to him as he was pulled from his revery, and a further second to raise his head to the familiar looking girl who spoke to him. He'd noticed her before on his earlier walks around the park. Light red-gold hair, fair skin, and a few gold-coloured freckles sprinkled across her cheeks and nose, and sharp eyes the colour of cinnamon.

"If you're feeling at all ashamed over lifting the car, you could always turn turn yourself in, y'know."

She smiled as a small dimple popped out in her chin.

"It's borrowed, not boosted," Jacob snapped at her for no reason known even to himself, hearing the catch in his own voice.

"Okay, sure. The courts will see straight through that one."

Jacob frowned down at the girl narrowing his eyes. "You need something?"

"Nope. Sorry about the car. I'm such a kidder. And you look... kinda down about something. Oh, and I'm Lizzie."

She held her hand out to Jacob for him to shake. Jacob stared at it until she let her hand fall awkwardly.

"Anyway..., I was just wondering if I could help you," Lizzie gestured back to the park, "you looked like you were looking for someone earlier..."

"Uh huh."

Lizzie looked at him and waited.

"She's not here. So, I don't need any help."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I could help you look... maybe?"

"No. Thanks. I'm just going to... stay for a while before heading back. Clear my head."

"Work up an excuse for boosting the car, right?" Lizzie smiled.

"Right, get back on that straight and narrow I seem to have dropped off."

"Glad you're convinced."

She stood and waited for Jacob to move, and it took him a moment to realise.

"So... Thanks for the talk."

Jacob nodded at her easily before sliding from the hood of the car watching her walk away, shooting the occasional worried glance over her shoulder at him. A large part of him wished he could have imprinted on her. She was nice enough. Witty, and caring enough to notice that he was upset about something. Jacob knew he was being less than friendly, and it didn't deter her in the slightest.

Jacob began to walk off in the opposite direction from the car, and from Lizzie, when he felt that he was being followed again. It wasn't a threatening sense, just someone walking steadily behind him. But he began to wonder if Lizzie had decided to come after him again when he realised that the foot falls were different.

Moving at the same pace Jacob continued for a few steps before swinging round to the person who followed him grabbing them by the arm firmly and effortlessly.

"What do you want with me?," he scowled, not looking at his pursuer in the face.

"I,... I just wanted to meet you. I, ah, don't quite know why. I'm sorry," a voice responded, softening Jacob's scowl slightly.

Jacob allowed his eyes to trail up from his hand on the arm to the shoulder across and up the tanned neck before allowing his eyes to settle on her face and look into her round hazel eyes framed by her long black hair.

"I'm sorry. I'll just... Go. Now. I have to go."

"I'm so sorry. I thought... Well never mind what I thought." Jacob's face softened as he searched the girls face and his hand loosened immediately on her arm. "Did I hurt you?"

Jacob held his hands in the air abruptly to stop the girl feeling threatened as she shook her head.

"You're sure? I won't leave a mark?"

"No. I'll be fine. I have to go though."

"Okay. But, tell me your name?"

"Soraya. My name's Soraya," she said before she dashed off in the direction Jacob was heading.

Jacob was brought to a stop watching her go, as heat flooded through him. A heat he had never sensed in himself before now. All the things that linked him to his current life began to unravel, and then became sliced apart, like bungee ropes being severed. Only instead of plunging into the vast abyss, he began to soar into space for a moment.

A moment was all he soared for until a new string held him in place firmly. But it wasn't string. It was a steel cord. And it wasn't one strand, but millions and millions of them of varying sizes, all anchoring Jacob to one person. The symmetry of the universe became clear to him in a way he couldn't have seen through others eyes.

Earth's gravity no longer held Jacob where he stood.

It was the black haired girl that Jacob had just encountered and held onto for a moment.

Soraya.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay, so I am riding the euphoria of my very first post, and the fact that I am no longer jittery as a dune bug. Well, I am but I am able to control it better than before. *Wedge*

Thanks to SecretMusings for being my first reviewer - and to being kind with it. Thanks to Emerald4391 for making my Christmas Day, (Yes I checked - inbetween making cupcakes and prepping veg). A very Special Thanks to the wonderful Witch Nova, who stands my daily rants about various things and is my beta even though she is not a Twilight fan- you helped give me that push to do this and you still give me practial advice. You all totally rock!

I hope you enjoy this next chapter, where Jacob gets a chance to know Soraya better. But is she willing? This is a talkie, but it helps to set their scene. For any serious Twi-hards out there, I have had to play around with Jacob's birthday and make him a year older (was born January 1990, and it's now 1989), please don't hate me, it works better this way for what I'm doing.

Please read and review - let me know what you like, don't like, and what you think needs work! ;-)

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><p>For a moment after Jacob realised that he had imprinted he stood fast, not sure of what to do. He couldn't exactly just go up to Soraya and tell her that she was the girl he had imprinted on, and as such they were destined to be together from that very moment.<p>

No. What Jacob needed was to spend time with her. Starting from now, as a friend. Following the faint scent of Soraya, he found himself looking at the Peak Diner situated in the centre of the large park. The drab look of it from the outside was nothing compared to the diner back in Forks that he had been to so many times in the past that he had lost count, and the thought of a burger made Jacob's stomach growl loudly.

Lunch time yesterday, that was the last time he ate, and it was at the Cullens. So a burger would do the world of good, Jacob thought to himself as he opened one of the glass doors.

Looking around at the sedate blues of the 50's interior, Jacob found a booth that was empty. In truth alot of the booths were empty. Three girls sat two booths down from him and looked at him in silence and awe before one pointed at him and smiled flirtatiously, while the old men perched by the counter eyed him suspisciously, daring him to cause trouble once they had taken in his size.

Jacob looked around the diner while appearing to look at the menu. He couldn't see Soraya. Not the back of her dark hair, not her frame. It was almost as if she ran straight through the diner and out the kitchen doors. Part of Jacob was tempted to see if she had indeed done that. But something in his gut told him to stay where he was. He couldn't explain how he knew, but Soraya was about to make herself known. Somehow.

Jacob looked around the decor of the diner once more, noting pictures of C-list celebs that had visited here for one reason or another, maybe to open different areas of the park that had been regenerated recently, Jacob could only hazard a guess as he didn't often pay attention to much that happened outside of La Push and Forks in general.

Jacob focused on cataloging the girls two booths down from him, to give him something to do until he was served, or Soraya made herself known. One girl had chocolate brown eyes just like Bella. Now he was feeling objective, he could say that they were beautiful, but they didn't hurt him or make him feel bad in any way, her hair was blonde, and cut in the same syle that Rosalie wore hers. That still made him want to make a bad blonde joke. So being imprinted hadn't changed everything about himself.

The other girl resembled Leah with her straight jet black hair cut sharply and the sharp look on her face ready to make a harsh comment, which made Jacob feel guilty for a beat or two. He had left his pack, Leah and Seth to their own devices, without even letting them know what was going on. Knowing Seth he would have just accepted Jacob's absence and taken point, enjoying bossing about his older sister. But Leah would jump to conclusions, as Leah was wont to do as usual. Even though Jacob had accepted they should stay in the same pack, no matter what happened, it was often her temper that infuriated him. Always had done.

The third girl at the table was not like the other two. She had a certain frailty to her and Jacob could see that she was a painfully shy girl. Her red hair and red freckles splayed across her nose must have made her an easy target for people, coupled with her clear blue eyes. Maybe even the girls she was with would have set up the odd joke with her to the at the butt of it a time or two. She glanced up at Jacob and quickly looked down after catching his eye, but Jacob waited patiently.

Jacob couldn't quite explain why, but he wanted this girl to be admired by her friends for a moment, as it was clear she would have been taken for the baby of the group. Jacob raised a hand and beckoned her forward with a smile. He had to smile wider when she pointed to her blonde friend first until Jacob shook his head gently and pointed at her again, watching her eyes grown wide, as did her two companions.

Watching her walk over slowly, Jacob kept a wary eye on the rest of the diner, and his senses alert for Soraya, lest she get the wrong idea. But he felt that what he was doing was for the right reasons. Making someone feel good just because he could was not something he would normally do.

"Hey, do you want to sit down?"

"Sure, um... Okay," the red head whispered lowering herself into the booth sitting opposite Jacob.

"My names Jacob. I live down near Forks." Jacob offered with his hand.

The girl looked at his big hand and then tentatively placed hers within his. "Meredith. My name is Meredith, Jacob," she said huskily, no longer a whisper. Her voice was nice. Familiar sounding.

"Great. So, now we sort of know each other. Do you go College, or are you still in high school?"

"Senior at high school. I honestly can't wait for it to be over," Meredith smiled a wide beam at Jacob, "What about you? College?"

Jacob splayed his hands out in the table, "No, actually, I was in high scool, but I had to take some time out to look after my dad who is kind of sick. Needs my help all the time."

"Wow, and your dad let you? My dad would have hit the roof, or gone through it," Meredith giggled.

Jacob could see her confidence growing somewhat.

"He did. Its just us at home so, it makes sense. I just needed to get out today. I was looking for someone," Jacob said, feeling his skin get warmer although he couldn't place why.

"Oh. Who were you looking for?" Meredith's eyes shined in interest. Jacob could see that although she liked him, she was more interested in a friendshp, something he didn't have with many females.

"Soraya. Do you know her?"

Mereditch's eyes grew wide, "Uh, yeah. Do you know her?" she asked purposefully.

Jacob thought on how to answer that for a moment before trying to make it as simple as he could. "I just met her, and I need to talk to her. It's really important. I gotta apologise for something. To her face."

Meredith grinned, "Sure, hold on," she said as she popped out of her seat to the double doors leading to the staff only section of the diner where the kitchen likely was.

"Soraya, you've got a table needing service."

"Okay. Just a second," came the strained reply.

Meredith looked back to Jacob cheekily displaying her dimples. "She'll just be a moment, and she can get you some food while you apologise to her."

"Uh, thanks," Jacob mumbled shocked, "You know, you're not as shy as I thought, are you?"

Meredith perched on the booth seat once more, "I am. Well, I can be. I just like to help people get what they want. You want to apologise, I want to see it. I like to study human behaviour. I want to be a sociologist when I go to college. So this is like, a study for me."

"I'm your science experiment?"

"After a fashion, yes. Do you mind?"

"Yes and no."

"Oh."

XXXX

Soraya tied her apron around her waist and knotted it twice while checking her face in the mirror. She couldn't believe she had just approached a guy she didn't know. Or rather, she was going to, but he beat her to the punch and knew she was there somehow. She wished she knew how he knew, as she wasn't making a sound.

Soraya pulled her long black hair into a pony tail and checked her pale blue uniformed dress. Like college wasn't going to be hard enough, working this part time job was going to be the death of her. Even the two day shifts a week were starting to take their toll on top of the two evening shifts Soraya insisted she worked to pay her way.

Soraya looked in the mirror again in scrutiny. Were there bags under her eyes? Yes, and they were getting darker by just looking at them.

Tugging down the dress once more, she grabbed her note pad and pen, and backed out of the staff room, ignoring the heat she felt spreading over her body. She did not have time to be sick today or any day really in the weeks and months coming up. Her college workload was immense, and if she could somehow create another few hours in each day to do it all, she would. She had no time in her life for anything extra right now.

Definately no time for a guy in her life.

Soraya let her feet guide her out as she kept her eyes on the notepad with notes she had left herself from her last shift, and found herself stop as her body heat intensified to a level that made her almost want to dip herself in ice cold water.

"Soraya, are you going to look up anytime?" Meredith asked, "I'm sitting with a customer after all, they need service of some kind."

"Sure, sure Meredith." Soraya muttered and looked up straight into big brown eyes that were so dark that they should have been black.

"Hi."

"Hi Soraya." Jacob licked his lips nervously and looked at her steadily. "I'm Jacob, Jacob Black. I, uh, I wanted to apologise, if you have a few minutes?"

"Uh, I should really take your order first, get what you want going in the kitchen."

Jacob had to lock his jaw shut to not let it slip that what he wanted was her, just her, sitting here with him so they could talk. But instead, he looked over the menu and chose a quarter pounder with cheese and a banana milkshake, and watched her retreat with the efficiency of a wild animal.

"What did you do to make her so skittish? I've not seen her like that since she moved here," Meredith said, looking at Jacob coolly.

Jacob shrugged avoiding discussing anything in detail with the sociologist that looked like she was ready to put him under a microscope and examine him in detail. The wolf in him tensed at the mere thought.

Soraya rushed over to the kitchen and left the order for the cook to pick up from the spiral, and went to the counter to refill some coffee of the men sitting at the counter, and then began to refill the sugar containers methodically and thought of Jacob.

She couldn't quite figure out what he wanted to apologise for, he already had done after he grabbed her and she could tell that by the look on his face that he really did mean it. He looked as stunned as she felt when he looked her in the eyes.

Her eyes drifted over to Jacob looking at Meredith as she spoke some more animatedly, and had to squash the impulse to tell her to go back to their friends and leave Jacob alone. Soraya didn't know Jacob, and after today, she probably wasn't going to see him again. Although that thought made her pulse race and her heart start to worry.

But why should she care? It's not like Jacob was her's.

"Milkshake."

Soraya jumped and spun to look at Meredith who had appeared without making a sound. "What?"

"Milkshake. Jacob ordered one, banana, I believe. Are you going to get it?"

Soraya pressed the back of her hand against her forehead. "Dammit, I would lose my head if it weren't screwed on today."

Meredith looked at Soraya with a raised eyebrow, while she began to gather the ice-cream, milk and a glass to make up the shake. "Are you feeling a little hot under the collar?"

"A bit, but its nothing to worry about, I'm just..."

"Flustered? I knew it. Why has this guy got you flustered? What happened? He wont tell me, thinks I'm going to study him... pick apart his brain or something."

"I'm not telling you anything."

"So there is something to tell, then?"

"I just met him earlier. We barely spoke. There's nothing to tell."

"But I'm one of your best friends! You should tell me."

"Meredith, since I moved here from England, you are about one of ten friends I have, around the globe. I would normally tell you everything, you know this but there is nothing to tell. Honestly."

Meredith leaned forward with her palms on the counter and focused her blue eyes on Soraya. "He likes you, he's not scary at all, unlike some of these oldies might think. Look, just let him apologise. As in sit with him. It's going to be, like, dead in here tonight."

Soraya poured the shake into the glass, left some in the metal shaker and sighed loudly, "Fine. But you are not to keep staring at us like we're material for course study. Just tell the girls to pretend like we're not here or something."

Meredith grinned in victory, "Done," she squealed as she shot off.

Soraya cursed lowly to herself as she carried over the drink to Jacob who sat looking at her from under hooded lids.

"Here you go. Your food should be ready in less than ten minutes, as you can see its pretty quiet here today," Soraya smiled weakly.

"Will you sit, or will you get in trouble?"

"It'll be fine for a few minutes." Soraya perched uncomfortably on the opposite side of the booth.

Jacob glanced at her over his milkshake, and let slip a small grunt of appreciation as he took in a mouthfull of shake, "That is the best thing I've had in days, thank you and, I'm sorry... about before, grabbing you. I, uh, heard you and, I reacted badly. I should have known better really. Did I hurt you?"

Soraya sat back a little and rubbed her arms up and under her sleeves, "I'm fine. Really."

"Is that a bruise? On your right arm! I'm sorry, "

Soraya checked and folded her arms firmly. "I'll be just fine. I bruise easily, that's all."

Jacob nodded silently to himself as they dipped into a easy silence.

"Why did you want to meet me, before?"

Soraya shifted in her seat, and glanced out of the window to the park, and thought on how to answer,"If I told you, you'd think I was mad. And you really wouldn't want me to be sitting here opposite you. I feel like a stalker enough today, and that is my quota."

"Please." A pair of black eyes pinned her in her seat, "I wouldn't think you're crazy, trust me. I've seen enough and know things that could get me put away."

"Really?"

Jacob chuckled, "Really."

"Alright, I'll tell." Soraya said barely convinced. "I didn't see you at first. I sensed something. Felt... warm or something and I followed it back to the car park and I saw you talking to to that girl. I wasn't there just for you, I forgot something in my car, or I thought I had anyway. Well, when you started walking in this direction, my direction, I wanted to meet you. I wanted to see your face properly, because just for a split second, no matter how stupid, I thought I should know you."

"So there you have it. Is it as good as you'd hoped?" Soraya asked shame faced.

"So, let me get this right. You basically followed a feeling and found me?"

"Yes," Soraya shifted in her seat.

"Perfect. You have no idea how perfect that is."

Soraya picked up her pen and started to press the button nervously, "Now you sound mad."

"Then we can be mad together, right?" Jacob chuckled as Soraya smiled a real smile at him, "Do you mind if I ask you a kind of, well...it's a personal question," he continued, feeling ushered on by her laughing hazel eyes.

Soraya shrugged and glanced out of the window once more, looking at the trees sway slightly in the breeze. Jacob could only take that as a yes. He wasn't too ready to accept a no unless those words actually left her mouth. Then the imprint would bend him to her will, but he just had to know more about her.

"You're not from around here, are you? I mean, Washington state, the north-west coast."

"No. You're right, I'm not."

"And you're not even American, are you? I don't want to be rude, I'm just very curious. I don't know your accent, and it's so... beautiful," Jacob smiled, and looked down at the table as a bell sounded off in the distance. He felt Soraya stand, brush down her outfit, and look at him. He didn't have to look at her to know it, he just did.

Soraya touched his shoulder lightly with the tips of her fingers and his eyes locked with hers without having to search them out, "It wasn't rude to ask, and it's not rude to be curious. Anyway, you're right. Mostly. I was brought up in England all my life. By my Mum and Grams. We lived in London but I wanted to study over here. So Grams and I moved over," she said, "Look, I have to get your food, do the rounds to make sure everyones okay. But I'll be back after, if you like?"

Jacob couldn't fight a smile from showing on his lips, "I would be honored if you would join me again."

Soraya smile down as him and walked back to the kitchen, and Jacob glanced around once more at the sedate blues.

He was not a Don Giovani, and he had no lady killer skills to rely on but something told him he was on the right track with Soraya. Not rushing her with anything, or any details that she may not be able to handle. Had to be the safest way with an outsider.

Once Soraya had delivered Jacob's food, she refilled the old men perched at the counter with coffee, checked to see who wanted pie or cake, or a hot order. Anything to keep her from going straight back to Jacob like her body was calling her to do.

"I do not have time for a man in my life," Soraya whispered to herself as a mantra as she went on the rounds to the booths starting with her friends.

"So who is he?" Ianyra, the blonde asked. She was pretty. Gorgeous. She was on the volleyball squad, and was pipped to be valedictorian at the end of senior year. Guys wanted to do her homework, and sometimes she let them, if they were smart. She had depth, it just was sparingly applied to life.

"Just a guy I bumped into earlier. He seems nice."

"Is he available?" Ianyra persisted. When she set her sight on something - or someone, she hated to have to climb over casualties, "I mean, a hunk of a guy like that... Happy Meal on legs much!"

Soraya had to shore up her patience to not respond, but Meredith chimed in for her, "He's a guy Nyra. Just a guy. If you want to know more, why don't you go and speak to him. He's been just nice enough to Soraya and me."

Meredith snuck a look at Soraya and saw her eyes bug, but it was too late. The words were said, and Ianyra was already edging out of the booth with her enchantress' 'come hither smile' on. With Faith looking on with a scowl, Meredith scooted over for Soraya to sit and watch the show, as Ianyra started to talk to Jacob.

"It bothers you, right?" Meredith said quietly.

Soraya shrugged, fiddling with her pen once more.

"He won't respond, watch and see. He'll be friendly and cool, but he wont lead her on. He is only interested in you."

Soraya sighed and placed her head in her hands, "How do you know that?"

"Beacuse it's as clear as every freckle on my face. Just look at his body language. How he leans away from her... really... look."

Soraya peered through her fingers at Meredith's subtle order, and sure enough, Jacob was leaning away from her slightly, looking panicked as Ianyra kept trying to get him to flirt back. Her skin warmed as he looked up straight into her eyes and mouthed a clear 'help me' at her, and she almost his dark eyes lingered on her, almost expecting her to need an extra push. It worked. A glance at Meredith, who had seen the exchange, and a quick smile at Faith, and she was on her way over to Jacob and Ianyra.

"Jacob, have you finished with your food?" Soraya smiled down at him.

"Sure, but can you tell the chef it was the best thing I've had in weeks and can I have another shake?"

"Of course. Nyra... walk with me?" Soraya asked sweetly as she scooped the plate, and ice-cream shaker.

Ianyra followed shooting Jacob another flirtascious grin.

Plates deposited and a chef thanked later, Soraya felt Ianyra shooting her daggers while she started Jacob's shake. "What?"

"What? What, you ask me? I was getting somewhere... I think. Why did you want me to leave him alone?" Ianyra whined, her blonde hair falling to shield her face.

Soraya fidgited on the spot, shifting from leg to leg as the shake continued to churn, "Well, firstly, you were harrasing one of my customers. I wanted to make sure his culinary experince in this diner was not going to be ruined."

Ianyra rose a sharp eyebrow at Soraya.

"And, to be honest... I... Well, I..."

"Spit it out already, I am aging waiting for you to speak!"

"I like him... Okay. If you really must know," Soraya forced through gritted teeth, "So could you please... just... not flirt with this one. Please. I may not be dating, but I would like you to leave Jacob alone."

Ianyra grinned at Soraya, "But you say all the time that you don't have time for a guy in you're life, what's changed now?"

Nothing. Everything. Soraya thought to herself too afraid to voice to Ianyra, and possibly to herself. Instead she could only say one thing.

"Please Nyra."

"Guess only a true friend would give up something as good looking as him. But, if anything happens..."

"You'll be on my list of people to know."

Ianyra smiled and tucked her blonde hair behind her ears before making her beeline to the girls sharing the valued information about Soraya's plea.

As Soraya started to pour the shake her mind started to tick, since she moved here she hadn't paid attention to one guy. She often felt like she was... waiting, and now she felt suddenly as though she had found what she was waiting for.

'But I don't believe in fate. Not anymore.' She thought to herself walking to Jacob who was looking out of the window with a penseive look on his face. It made him look like he was sixteen and extremely cute.

'And I do not have time for a boyfriend in my life.'

"Here's your shake," Soraya said sitting in the booth opposite across from him once again, brushing his arm, "Wow, you could cook an egg on that arm of yours. Do you always have such a high temp? I mean, you must be running at about one-oh-six, right?"

Jacob spluttered around the straw of his shake before his forced out a smile, "Something like that. See, I'm built for survival. As you can kinda tell," He gestured at his wide shoulders and built arms.

"You're built," Soraya muttered before continuing louder, "Survival, what are you in the army or something?"

Jacob choked a laugh out.

"And how comes you're so damned hot?"

Soraya sat staring at Jacob and covered her own mouth for what she let escape. She was sure that under her own mahogany skin there was a slight blush travelling to her cheeks, but Jacob just smiled at her.

"Um, not army but it's something I do for the Tribe back home on the Reservation, where I come from. The whole heat thing is part of it too. Just a neat package really."

Soraya smiled at him as he smiled widely back once again, his bright smile capitivating her.

"For the record Soraya, I think you're damned hot too."

Jacob had no idea what had come over him, speaking almost too freely about Tribe business but from what he had seen in others, you couldn't hide from your imprint, anymore than you could hide from the pack. If your imprint asks a question, you were compelled to answer, and that is all Jacob could feel. Compelled to tell Soraya anything she seemed to take an interest in. She was the centre of his universe, and right now that was all that mattered. Time almost seemed to freeze for him as she smiled.

Jacob felt the need to touch Soraya, but knew that it was too soon for him to try, so he placed his hands on the table, palm up. He tried to make himself very still and focused and waited for Soraya to speak. Occasionally he would glance up, and she would be looking at him, and they'd grin at each other.

Soraya could only grin at the ease she felt at being in Jacob's company. It didn't feel forced, she didn't have to make up silly things to talk about, they just sat in a silence that said more than words could say. She had never felt anything so intense. Glancing at his palms on the table, she fought the insane notion her hands were having, of crawling into Jacob's palms, where they'd be warm, and safe.

Soraya didn't know how she'd be safe. It was a lot like the knowledge that led her to Jacob in the first place. Something she had no control over but she had to know more. Jacob whose age she didn't know. Did he have a girlfriend? Did Meredith know? She spent time talking with him but Meredith would never put Soraya with him if he wasn't free.

"Soraya, you have this look on you're face like there's something on your mind. What's up?"

"Nothing, I mean... I don't know if you have a girlfriend. Because you must have really. Right?"

"No girlfriend. Remember, you saw how uninterested I was in that girl earlier and on some level you know, I am not interested in just any girl."

"No. I guess not. I feel like you want to be talking to me. Meredith even said so. She's very observant. My Grams reckons she has, what she calls, the sight but I think there's a point she may have lost her marbles."

"Nah, you shouldn't doubt that. I know someone who can sees things but she's... different. Not my kind of different, but unique in her own way, I suppose."

"I would really have to see the evidence to believe in that kind of thing. I refuse to believe in something that I can't see. Since my dad died a few years ago, there is a lot that I don't believe in anymore. My Grams used to show me the ways of our people growing up. But now, she knows I have no interest."

Sensing the mood change, Jacob felt the need to lighten it. Soraya's emotions were in turnoil, he could see it in her face as well as sense it. Their imprint seemed to give him a glance at what she was feeling but not a full insight.

"How old do you think I am Soraya?"

Soraya licked her lips nervously and looked him over, "Older than me. In your early twenties, definately."

"Nope. I'm eighteen. Almost," Jacob smiled at Soraya shyly.

"Really, just eighteen?"

"Don't say it likes its a bad thing. It isn't. The break that I am on from high school on the Reservation will mean I have some make up tests to do, but I'll end up going to a local community college to do mechanics and engineering. I love cars. Plus Sam and the Tribe wont be too happy with me going to far."

"Why not? I mean, it's not their life to lead, right?" Soraya asked, intrigued.

"It's complicated. I have a kind of legacy to live up to. I'm being primed by the Elders to take over some day, so going too far, not an option. I mean, they could at least let me live my life before expecting me to take on this huge responsibility that I don't think I can take right now. I am not great leadership material."

Soraya let his words fall as she watched him his face so animated while the rest of him seemed so still. She wanted to be here with him. Talking with him. Her hands still thought their place was in his hands. Her mind wandered as she thought of him kissing her hands, one by one. Of him moving to sit by her and planting the softess kiss behind her ear, and trailing it down her neck. Soraya let her eyes flutter shut, unable to stop the images from coming to her, of them becoming more entwined with each other, and her breath hitched for just a moment before her mind threw her own motto back at her mockingly.

But you don't have time for a guy in your life. Remember?

Jacob watched as Soraya's eyes glazed over, and heard her heart start to beat that little bit faster. He scooted round a little and reached for Soraya's face softly with the backs of his fingers. Soraya felt a new heat spread out from the small place he had touched, and more images sped across her vison as she tried to see past them to Jacob.

"I wish I knew what you were thinking. I have a feeling I would be right there with you." Jacob said, his voice deeper and rougher than the minutes before placing his hand on hers unconsciously.

"I don't think you should know what's on my mind. Although, you can probably guess," Soraya smiled at him slowly and slyly, and he grinned back, eyes gleaming, stroking the back of her hand in slow lines. The air seemed to crackle to Soraya, drawing her closer to Jacob, to his heat, so her own wouldn't seem so much to bear.

"So why'd you want to come to the US to study anyhow? Isn't England supposed to be amazing for learning?"

"I, um. Well, I wanted to be closer to my Dad's home. He was from Washington state. I wanted to see what he saw before he met my Mum. Make a connection. You should enjoy going from rez to college. That sounds weird on my lips, I'm so used to saying university. Anyway, just think of the extra freedom."

Soraya glanced at Jacob and saw his features shutter. She would have said she sensed it too, but that was too far fetched for her to grasp. "It's okay if you don't want to tell me about it. I understand. I mean... it's not like you even know me. Not really," Soraya choked out. Her body and soul started to cry out to her then that she knew him. She knew his touch comforted her, she knew that his heat warmed her, and his stare warmed her like he placed a hand on her.

Jacob's hand paused in motion and lay over hers protectively, "Tribe politics Soraya. Things are different. I mean, I'm different... different from you. If I could take you back to them, then they would understand," he continued excitedly for a moment.

Soraya picked up on a word she'd heard already from Jacob. "Different? You said that before. How are you different?"

Jacob looked over at her smiling weakly and she spied something in him hide, like he was trying to protect her from some knowledge and it was all hidden in his eyes but he said nothing for what seemed to be the longest while as he looked down at her hand, and continued to stroke it.

"It's all perfect."

"Your milkshake?" Soraya exclaimed seeing Jacob take another long drag of slightly melted shake.

Jacob barked out a laugh, "No Soraya. I was talking about you. Since you followed me down the path, I've been convinced. You are the perfect woman for me. If I was to bring you home, the pack wouldn't want you to leave. I don't know if you believe in fate, but my people do. Or well, destiny really. Fate just sounds so final but there are just some things that just are. I honestly believe that destiny brought us both here today. You to Washington, me here to this very park."

"I don't know if I believe in fate, or destiny or anything like that anymore. I did until my dad died and I think, well if that was fated, then it can go swing. I wont be interested."

Jacob felt her sorrow but refused to give up trying to make her see where he was coming from. Trying to make it easier on her, "Okay, do you believe in myths, and legends? Like the ones historians talk about when going on about Greece and Egypt?" Jacob paused to see Soraya nod and look at their hands, "Great, well my Tribe has a myth. A myth you could say is just history, a story, except its started to happen. With kids our age, and older. Finding their soul mates and its only a select few, those who are... different, like me. They... imprint, and two people get connected, it's like love at first sight."

"Imprinting. Like animals do? Like a human version of mating for life?"

"Yeah. The guys are at their partners beck and call and we live for it. Even if the person the guy imprints on is way younger, the guy becomes anything she needs. A friend, a carer, lover... the list is endless but he is always what she needs, what her heart needs."

Soraya sat absorbing Jacobs words, her mind whirring a mile a minute, trying to process everything she was hearing against everthing she was feeling. It all made sense. It all sounded like it was one hundred percent true. She looked into her heart, which had never let her down, and tried to find the inner truth of it all. She leaned closer to Jacob and felt his arm surround her comfortably, and she felt like it was something she had been doing for years.

"Okay. I'm on board with the soul mates talk, mating for life sounds weird, but it's like the older generations used to do and so many animals do it, it's quiet amazing really. Wolves, some different kinds of birds... so it's not exactly like its a new idea or anything. The way my Grams talks, it's like Grandpa was her soulmate too. Without him, she's lost. Like my mum is without my Dad I guess. They just deal differently to each other."

Jacob smiled against Soraya's hair, taking in a fragrence that was inherently hers, warmed at how she was accepting the notion of soul mates but he knew it wasn't over. The next part of the conversation would not necessarily go as smoothly. It was all very well believing in destiny, and soul mates for other people, but knowing your own future had been taken out of your hands... well Jacob remembered how he felt when he had first become a wolf and he thought his freewill had been taken away from him but he thought of the first animal that she thought of when thinking about mating for life, and he found confidence in that.

He pulled away from Soraya slightly, so she could look up at him and so he could look down at her clearly. He wanted her to realise how important this was but news like this was not something you could just blurt out. However, he knew in his heart of hearts that he wanted her to recognise it for herself. It was what made her come after him, afterall.

"Right, well, this imprinting... however crazy it might sound is very real. I've seen it but until today I'd only ever seen it from the outside looking in."

"What did they say it felt like? I mean the people you know who have imprinted? Could they describe it?" Soraya asked softly.

"Each person, male and female experiences it a little differently but the general things are, feeling hot, and I mean, hotter than normal. Almost like having a fever, the flush can spread over you when you are close to the person you've imprinted on. Some have said it feels like your world shifts... everything that was important suddenly isn't as important as the person you've imprinted on. They become you're eveything," Jacob said drawing on his own experience from earlier, and his experience from seeing what other wolves have been through and felt.

Soraya felt warmer as Jacob described the different things people had felt. She recognised some of them in herself, but she wasn't going to be foolish and say anything yet. She needed to know more.

"Anything else?"

Jacob smiled, "When you imprint, there is supposed to be this instant closeness, like you are the safest you will ever be with this person and some say that the idea of someone else spending time with them can make you a little jealous if it goes unacknowledged. You feel like you know this person; like you could detect the feelings and sensations about what they told you but saying that, I have also been told, that you cannot lie to the person you imprint on. Pretty mad, right?" Jacob finished lightly, or as lightly as he could muster.

Jacob could feel Soraya's heart beating faster and her breath coming at a more uneven pace. Her eyes were unfocused but still looking at him in the face. He could almost hear the wheels turning in her mind, although what they were thinking while turning was a complete mystery to him. Jacob didn't speak again, afraid to jolt Soraya out of whatever trance she had put herself into to sort out the information, he just stayed where he was, and allowed the seconds to become minutes.

"Jacob?"

"Yes, Soraya."

"Have you imprinted on someone?"

"I have. Today," Jacob replied in a measured tone. Soraya took a deep breath, and held it for a second before blowing it out again.

"Jacob?"

"Mmm-hmm, Soraya."

"Did you imprint on me?" She looked at Jacob and locked onto his gaze. Hazel eyes met dark brown eyes unblinkingly as he replied again.

"Yes Soraya. Earlier on today, when we met, I imprinted on you. You're my soul mate."


End file.
